Molly's Return
by jennyj90
Summary: After the birth of their first child, Molly finds herself torn between her family and her career
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Just when you thought you'd got rid of me, I came back! It's been a pretty tough few months but I'm starting to feel a bit more like myself again, so have decided to come back to writing. I will return to '** **Friends** _ **'**_ **soon, but as someone who has been through similar, it's hard for me to write about. This little story has been playing around in my mind for a few days now, and I figured it might be a good way to ease myself back into the swing of things. I really hope you like it!**

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 **Prologue**

"I know its part and parcel of the job, but it gets harder each time you have to leave."

"It's only a short tour and it's only Cyprus."

"But still. If you really want to go to Cyprus we can easily take a holiday there."

Molly chose to ignore Charles' last comment and proceeded to pack her bag. She knew deep down that she wasn't keen on going out there; she'd barely been home for a few months. But this was her job and she needed to go. There was a real possibility that this could be her last ever tour and she wasn't prepared to miss it. Yes, a few more months at home would have been nice, but her decision had been made and she wasn't going to change her mind on the matter.

"What time's your medical?"

Molly glanced down at her watch, cursing under her breath for not keeping better track of the time. It wasn't something she'd normally had a problem with, but she'd had far bigger things on her mind recently. She grabbed her phone and keys and after hastily kissing her husband's lips, she ran down the stairs and swung open the front door, the typical British weather forcing her to slam it shut once more and reach for her coat.

"I'll grab my car keys," Charles said, retreating back up the stairs from his position half way down them. Molly contemplated arguing, her stubborn mind wanting her to be independent and just jump on the train, but the realistic part of her knowing that she would only end up soaked and miserable. She was already feeling unbearably nauseous, the last thing she wanted to do was catch a chill.

Neither of them spoke during the drive, Charles was busy concentrating on the roads, whilst Molly spent the time lost in her thoughts. The silence was filled with nothing but the occasional squeak of the wiper blades as they worked to clear the rain as it hammered down on the windscreen.

As they pulled into a parking space, she snapped out of her daydream, relieved to see that the rain had finally passed. Something was telling her that this wasn't going to go well, but she knew it was a ridiculous thought. She'd been deployed three times before and there'd never been an issue, so there was no reason for there to be one now. There was a potential problem in the future, but she was fit and healthy now, which was all that mattered in her mind.

"I'm just going to nip to the shop up the road and grab a drink; do you want anything?" Molly shook her head. She just needed to get this over and done with. "Ok, well call me when you're finished up and I'll meet you back here. I love you."

"Love you too."

As Molly hopped out of the car and into the imposing building, she gave herself a moment to pause and take a breath before approaching the person at the desk. She could feel the thud of her heart and the dampening of her palms as she spoke her name and was directed through to a waiting room. The seats were the same hard plastic chairs she remembered from school; both uncomfortable and unattractive. For a moment, she toyed with the idea of turning one upside down and checking for discarded chewing gum stuck on the under-side. If nothing else it would distract from the thoughts that were churning over and over in her mind. The same ones that had found a permanent home in her mind for the past two weeks.

"James."

The voice startled Molly, but auto-pilot quickly kicked in and she found herself following the female medic through into a small room. These places were always the same, like a doctor's surgery, all pristine and tidy; yet seeming to have everything they could possibly need hidden away in one cupboard or another.

"So this will be your fourth tour?"

"Yep, first one to Cyprus though."

"Do you feel fit? Any injuries at all?"

"Nope, I'm fine." Molly attempted her best smile, but she felt nervous. She'd done enough of these pre-deployment medicals to know what to expect. It was inevitable that she would be asked that one question that she really didn't want to be asked; that one question that would turn her whole world upside down.

"Afghanistan must have been tough."

"Course it was, but you've gotta move on or you'll be fragged forever."

The medic seemed satisfied with both her mental and physical health, happily ticking the necessary boxes to each and every question. For the briefest of moments, Molly thought that perhaps she'd gotten away with it. She allowed her mind to trickle away as she planned the next few months. She didn't know anything for definite yet, so there was no point mentioning it and causing loads of trouble when it might not even be the case. She was just stressed, that was all, and if it was more than that, it wouldn't even show until she returned home. Her cheeks dared to twinge with a smile, hopeful that that one question wouldn't be asked.

"Lastly, I just need to check if there's any chance of pregnancy?" And there it was.

Molly could feel the heat rising up her neck. She was an awful liar. She patted her phone, willing for it ring in her pocket. The simple fact that she'd placed it on silent was irrelevant; she needed it to malfunction and to ring. She turned to the door, pretending to have seen the shadow of someone walk past. Of course that was impossible too, the solid door was securely shut. She turned back to the medic, her breath catching in her throat. The expression that met her gaze was full of disappointment.

"James?" The previously jovial voice was now stern, like a mother preparing to berate her child.

"I haven't had a positive pregnancy test, no." Well that was true at least.

"Have you done one at all?"

"Well…no."

"James," the medic leaned forward, resting her weight upon folded arms on the table, her face beginning to relax. "You know if you are pregnant, it's not the end of the world. You can stay in the army, you won't get booted out."

"Really?"

"But I will have to inform your Commanding Officer and you will be restricted on what you can do."

"Such as?"

"Your CO is in a better position to discuss that with you. James…Molly… you know there are reasons why pregnant women aren't allowed to deploy overseas. It's too much of a risk, even if it is only Cyprus; so I need to ask you again, and please be honest with me, is there any chance of pregnancy?"

Molly closed her eyes, took a long, deep breath and then nodded her head. One swift movement that had potentially brought her career to a grinding halt.

It was just ten minutes later when Molly was sat back at the desk, having handed the medic a urine sample that she had promptly tested. As much as she had convinced herself of a negative result, she knew it was time to face the facts. The missed period, the nausea, not to mention the fact her boobs were hyper-sensitive. She knew what the result would be without having to hear it; she just wasn't prepared to accept it yet.

She and Charles had discussed having children from the moment they got married, but Molly wasn't ready yet and Charles had agreed that they would go at her pace. She knew she wanted to have one by the time she was thirty, but that was years away, she was only twenty six. She was supposed to be going to Cyprus and climbing her way up the ranks, not dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. This was going to disrupt her whole life, pure and simple.

She gathered her things together and walked out of the building in a trance. She'd forgotten that Charles had driven her, her feet carrying her down the road and to the bus stop. She didn't even check the number on the bus as she stepped on board, paid the fare to the train station, and then stepped onto the waiting train. For just a moment her brain clicked to check that she was on board the right one, before resuming her stare into thin air. Of course Charles would be overjoyed; he'd made it perfectly clear that he wanted to have children with her. But this wasn't just about him, this was about her too; it was her body and her life.

The cold air caught her as she stepped off of the train and started walking towards their house. Her coat was draped over her arm, but not for a second did she consider wearing it. Instead she pulled her jumper further up her neck and over her trembling lips. Her eyes remained cast on the ground, shutting out the world around her as she lost herself in her thoughts.

It was only when she opened the front door and pulled her phone out of her pocket that she noticed it light up as Charles called her. She lifted it to her ear and listened to the panicked tones of her husband on the other end.

"Moll? Where are you? I've been trying to call you for the past half hour."

"I'm…" She glanced around, almost double checking that she was where she thought she was. "I'm at home."

"What the bloody hell are you doing there? I was sitting in the car park for bloody ages and when I went to check if you were ok they said you'd already left."

"We need to talk."

"What's wrong?" The concern in his voice was unmistakeable.

"Just come home."

Molly discarded her phone on the side table, then made herself a mug of tea and sunk into the arm chair, pulling a thick blanket over herself. The hot drink soon heated her hands, each sip of the sweet liquid warming her inside. The house sat in perfect silence, allowing her a much needed moment of calm to weigh up whatever options she had. But as far as she could see, the only alternative to seeing through the pregnancy was something that she wasn't even prepared to consider.

She allowed one hand to fall and rest over her stomach, feeling herself overcome by a strange emotion that she as yet couldn't understand. This was one of the biggest decisions she was ever going to make, but she knew that she had to stick to it, because there would be no going back.

The front door banged shut as Charles ran inside in search of wife, throwing his keys on the floor and crouching beside her, worry etched on his face. "What happened, Molly?" He ran his hand over her knee, gently squeezing in an attempt to evoke a reaction. "Please talk to me, what's wrong?"

Molly forced herself to look up, seeing him through her tear filled eyes. His hair was wet and windswept, his cheeks flushed from the cold. She couldn't help but smile as his eyes met hers. As he reached up, stroking his thumb along her cheek, Molly instinctively leaned into it, before flinging herself forward and into his waiting embrace.

"We're having a baby."

Charles remained silent for a moment, taking in the words that she'd just said and trying to determine whether or not she was being serious. He held her face in his hands, taking every inch of her in, before gradually his eyes filled with tears of joy. He pulled her back into his arms and held her close, a gentle laugh escaping his lungs. The smile upon his face as he placed a solitary kiss upon her lips, told Molly everything she needed to know.

It was going to be ok.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews! The first chapter was only the prologue; this is where the story begins…**

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Molly rubbed her sleep filled eyes, tiny weights edging her eyelids lower. It was 4am, and despite going to bed at 11pm the previous night, she'd had less than an hour of sleep. At just five months old, Katie's first tooth was coming through and she was making damn sure that her mother knew about it.

"Come on sleep head, it wasn't that bad." Charles had appeared in the doorway, holding a mug of tea and a plate full of toast, which he immediately handed to her.

Molly glared back at him. She was tired and emotional, and she was not prepared to listen to her husband telling her it wasn't that bad when he'd slept through the whole thing. "Just piss off."

"I wasn't actually going to leave for another hour." He reached down, scooping his daughter into his arms and smothering her face in kisses. Katie seemed initially unhappy at being taken away from her toys, but she soon forgot, happily giggling away at her father. "Why don't you go and get some sleep until then?"

Too tired to argue, Molly ascended the stairs, collapsing onto the bed in a heap. She didn't bother to move the duvet on even put her head on her pillow. Instead, she closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep in the position that she'd fallen; exhaustion consuming her.

Sleepless nights weren't something they'd experienced much of before. From the moment she'd found out that she was pregnant; everything had run as smoothly as possible. She'd remained at work until just two weeks before her due date, taking on a position at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. Katie had been a small baby, much like her mum, something Molly was ever grateful for. She'd dreaded the thought of carrying a baby that would inherit their dad's size.

When she went into labour a day early, she'd dared to think that the pregnancy couldn't get much better. That was of course until she'd had to endure a 16 hour labour. According to the midwives it could have been much worse, but Molly wasn't interested. She'd just been through the most painful experience of her life and she actually felt proud of herself. She didn't need some midwife putting a dampener on that.

Katie Louise James was perfect in every way, the spitting image of Charles, complete with matching dark curls of hair. They'd taken her home, the besotted parents that they were. That first night at home, they lay awake, just watching her as she slept. Molly knew that life wasn't going to get much better than that. They took it in turns to get up during the night, neither seeming to suffer hugely from any amount of sleep deprivation. That was until last night, the first night that Katie had refused to settle. Knowing that Charles had an early start, Molly had sat in her room comforting her until 3am, when she took her downstairs and surrounded her with her toys, praying that they would offer her some distraction from the pain.

As Molly re-awoke from her slumber, she felt refreshed. Whilst a full night's sleep would have better, she was grateful to have had some rest. She sat herself up, struggling to focus her eyes on the clock. When she did, it took her a moment for her to acknowledge what it said. When she finally did, she bolted down the stairs at a speed even she was surprised with, ready to push Charles out the door.

"You should have left half an hour ago, you numpty."

"Shit." Charles jumped to his feet, grabbing his phone, keys and wallet from various places in the room. "We got distracted by the tooting thing."

"Just go or you'll be late."

Charles took a moment to kiss both Molly and Katie, and then disappeared out of the house, the wind slamming the door shut behind him. As Molly stood, looking down at her daughter, she suddenly felt deafened by the silence. She'd spent her life either surrounded by the noise of her siblings, or encompassed by the adrenaline of the army. Now that Charles was back at work, she didn't even have him for company anymore.

Katie looked up at her mum sensing that something was amiss. It wasn't long for her to realise that her dad had gone and tears began to fall down her face.

"You're such a daddy's girl," Molly laughed, picking her up and cradling her in her arms, before allowing her daughter to latch on. Whilst Katie was content, she reached for the remote and switched on the TV, desperate for some kind of noise to fill the quiet room.

Charles was now working as the manager of a security firm in the City, and wasn't due home until late. She'd been used to them spending time apart - long stints away from home were an integral part of army life - so when she'd begun her maternity leave, his days at work didn't seem that bad. Yet since his paternity leave had ended, they seemed to feel increasingly long, each day feeling like an uphill struggle. He was right though; the bills weren't going to pay themselves.

Once Katie had finished feeding, Molly sat her back on the floor with her toys and grabbed her phone. She wanted to be strong; be the same old, independent Molly Dawes that she once was. But she knew that she'd reached the point where she had to admit defeat. She called the only person who might be able to help.

"Mum," she said as soon as Belinda answered the phone. "Are you busy?"

It took two hours by train for Belinda to get there, but without explanation, she understood that her daughter needed her. As Jade had a day off of work, she'd decided to go too. Apparently their dad had injured his back again and was driving her crazy at home. Molly wasn't going to complain about her presence; as far as she was concerned, the more company the better.

"Oh, look at her little rosy red cheeks," Belinda cooed, picking Katie up for a cuddle. "They must be some big teeth coming through. Have you given her some painkillers?"

"Every four hours and teething gel when she takes it."

Katie stared at her grandmother with a look of uncertainty, before kicking her legs out and reaching for her mother. Molly was reluctant to take her at first, knowing that since her birth, Belinda had only been able to make the journey to see them a handful of times. Quickly realising that she wasn't getting what she wanted, Katie began to cry, only stropping when Molly reached out and gave her the cuddle that she was demanding.

"I hate seeing her like this; I just dunno what else to try."

"How about taking her out for a bit of fresh air? It's a bit nippy out there but if you wrap her up nice and warm, she'll be fine. It might even send her to sleep with any luck."

It was worth a try, Molly decided. Her mum was probably an expert on teething given the amount of children she'd had. Whilst Jade changed Katie's nappy and put her into some clean clothes, Molly took the opportunity to take a quick shower, delighting in the warm water as it cascaded over her body. She would have loved to have stood there for hours in her own little paradise, but she was all too aware of the fact that her family were waiting for her.

She quickly dried herself and got dressed into some warm clothes, before making her way back downstairs. Jade had obviously heard her footsteps and was in the midst of strapping Katie into her pushchair and tucking a blanket in around her.

The walk into town took them only twenty minutes, a blissfully slow walk. Molly loved people watching, curious about the lives of the strangers that past them. The woman out for a morning run, the old man walking his dog or the couple sat on the park bench. Every one of them had a story and if she all the time in the world, she would have sat and listened to them all. Charles could never understand her interest in it, as much she tried to explain. It was a strange hobby, but one that allowed her some creativity.

Maybe the woman wasn't having a morning run; maybe she was a part of a criminal gang and was running from the police? Molly giggled to herself aware of how unlikely that was. Maybe the couple were secret lovers and they were hiding in plain sight? Molly turned back to look at them, deciding that that was entirely plausible.

"What are you laughing at?" Belinda asked her, catching sight of her smile.

"People watching."

"Ah," Belinda nodded her head towards the coffee shop across the road. "How about we go sit down for a cuppa whilst the little one's asleep and we can all have a go?"

As their mum ordered the drinks and Katie slept, Molly and Jade took the opportunity to catch up. As little as Molly had seen her mum, she'd seen her sister even less. Jade had begun a job working at the local hairdressers and seemed to be enjoying it. The life she was now leading seemed not too dissimilar to the one that Molly left behind and as much as it suited her sister, it reminded her of just how grateful she was to have moved on.

"How long have you got left before your maternity leave ends?"

"My OML ends in two weeks, but I asked to take AML for an extra couple of months so she can get weaned and that. I mean, I could extend it to six months or quit altogether if I really wanted to, but I dunno yet."

"When do you have to decide?"

"I've gotta give them eight weeks' notice."

"Then what you gonna do?"

Molly shrugged her shoulders, genuinely not knowing the answer. She turned to look at her daughter, so peaceful in her dreams, and wondered whether or not she would ever feel ready to leave her. The longest she'd spent away from her was an hour when Charles took her to the shops once, and she spent the whole time sat at home waiting for them to get back. The thought of just a day away from her was too painful to consider, let alone several months. She loved her too much.

"I need to work and ASL isn't full pay, so guess I don't have much choice."

"Much choice in what?" Belinda asked, approaching them with a tray weighed down by three pots of tea, three chocolate muffins and a mountain of sugar sachets.

"Molls reckons that Charlie-boy doesn't earn enough to support them, so she's gotta go back to work."

"That is not what I said, Jade!"

"Moll…" Belinda reached out, grasping her hand. "You know there are benefits available, don't feel like you have to work."

"I'm not going on the dole!" Molly snatched her hand away, angrily running it through her hair, before deciding against storming out. "Charles earns enough money for me to extend my maternity leave if I wanted to, but I want to be able to pay my share of the bills and not rely on him."

"Too independent for your own good, you are."

Molly tried not to laugh. She felt anything but. "Can we just discuss something else, please? Thought we were gonna people watch?"

They sat for an hour, eating, drinking and talking; discussing the possible lives of whatever person walked past the window in front of them. It was only when Katie stirred from her nap that they realised how long they'd been sat there. Aware that she was due a feed soon, they decided to walk back to the comfort of home.

"Post," Jade said, passing it to Molly as soon as they crossed the threshold.

Molly sat herself on the sofa to feed Katie, flicking through the letters. Mostly bills and a invite to the wedding of one of Charles' cousins who she vaguely recalled meeting once. She flicked through them all with little interest until one caught her eye. She turned it over in her hand, knowing what is was immediately. As soon as Katie had finished, she past her to Belinda, pleased to see that this time she went without a fight. With her eyes fixed on the envelope, she headed through to the kitchen.

For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to open it. She held her breath, trying to muster the courage, but failing miserably. She wasn't ready for this. She threw it down on the worktop and turned to leave the kitchen, but as she did so, she spotted a lighter out of the corner of her eye. In a split second and without thinking about what she was doing, Molly took the lighter and waved it under the corner of the envelope until the flame caught. In that moment, she thought that what she was doing made perfect sense. If the letter no longer existed, then she would no longer have to worry about it. She dropped it into the sink and walked away. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Everything ok, Moll?"

"Never better."

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 **A/N – OML is Ordinary Maternity Leave and lasts 26 weeks. AML is Additional Maternity Leave and can last for up to an additional 26 weeks.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this chapter has taken so long to upload. I must have re-written it a thousand times and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but here goes!**

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Belinda and Jade had left Molly early afternoon, wanting to avoid the rush hour on their return home. She'd hated watching them leave, having enjoyed their company for the day, but she knew it wouldn't be long before Charles came home. She was determined not to clock watch; instead busying herself playing with Katie until it became apparent that she was getting tired and an early night was required.

Katie had taken a while to calm down enough to fall asleep, so once she was finally settled; Molly decided to stay with her for a while. She sat beside her cot, just watching her chest as it rose and fell, her eyes flickering with dreams. She was so beautiful; Molly couldn't quite believe that she'd given birth to her. Such a perfect, tiny human being that loved her unconditionally. Whilst she may have been unplanned, Molly didn't regret having her for one second. That little girl meant everything to her.

She closed her eyes for what was only intended to be a moment, but soon drifted off to sleep as well. She had no idea what the time was when she woke, finding herself stretched across the floor, her arm numb and cold from having slept on it. She sat herself up to relieve the pressure, only to experience a searing pain as pins and needles shot down the length of her arm, forcing her to desperately rub it an attempt to get the blood flowing once more. She stood herself up, carefully tiptoeing across the carpet of her daughter's room, avoiding the creaky floorboard, and down the stairs, just as the front door opened and Charles walked in, clicking the door shut behind him.

"What time d'ya call this?" She joked, a huge smile plastered across her face. She was so pleased to see him. Unfortunately Charles didn't seem anywhere near as happy as she was. Unwilling to return it the smile, he ran his hand across his clenched jaw, scratching away at his stubble. "What?"

"Why didn't you answer your bloody phone?"

 _Phone?_ Molly glanced around the hallway, but failing to see it, she headed through to the lounge in search of it. She immediately spotted it on the sofa; a little light flashing in the corner to tell her there was a notification. Once unlocked, she spotted the dozens of missed calls and voicemail messages from Charles. Without listening to them, she turned back to face him, assuming that he was going to tell her anyway.

"Well?" She prompted him, taking a quick look at the time on her phone. "It's eight o'clock…hang on…" she looked again, not quite believing her own eyes. "It's eight o'clock in the fucking evening; you were due home over an hour ago!"

"Well I'm sorry," he replied sarcastically, "but I haven't quite mastered the power of controlling other road users. Do you know what? I actually left work early today, so if it wasn't for the fucking motorway being shut, I would have been home by five. I could have had dinner with you and even done Katie's bedtime. That'll teach me for actually missing my wife and daughter so much that I couldn't concentrate at work." He ran his hand through his hair, the worry lines still evident on his face. "You're normally attached to that bloody phone of yours; all I kept thinking was that something had happened to you and I couldn't get back here. I swear time has never gone slower."

"I'm sorry." Molly bowed her head with guilt, not knowing what else she could say. "Katie only had a short nap when we were in town earlier, so I took her up to bed at six and I must have fallen asleep too."

Charles watched her for a moment, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself down. When he opened them again, Molly could see that tears had begun to form and she mentally kicked herself for not taking her phone with her.

"I'm so sorry," she apologised again, holding her arms out and reaching them around his neck, pulling him close. They stood holding each other for a moment, Charles dipping his head forward to breath in the scent of his wife. Despite his annoyance at the whole situation, he was still grateful to be home to her and know that nothing was wrong.

"Don't ever worry me like that again, ok?"

Molly pulled back to look him in the eye. "I won't, boss."

"Well…good." He rested his forehead against hers, gently rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone. "I love you, Dawesy."

"Ditto," she replied, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment. Despite being stuck in the car for several hours, he still smelt amazing. She tipped her head to kiss him, her tongue circling inside his mouth, savouring the taste. She groaned gently as he pulled away, gesturing that he wanted to get out of his work clothes. "Ok," she sighed loudly, glancing around the room at the mess that had been left. "I'll tidy up this bombsite and then sort something out for dinner."

As Charles headed upstairs, Molly stared in disbelief at the sheer amount of toys that were scattered across the lounge. They'd been given so many from family and friends since announcing the pregnancy and if truth be told, Katie only ever played with her favourite few, despite the fact that on most days, every single one of them would still come out. As she started to tidy them away into the toy box or tuck them into the corner of the room, she made a mental note to sort through them at the earliest opportunity. There were probably loads that could go into the attic until they were needed again.

Her mind began to wander and for a second, Molly considered the prospect of Katie having a brother or sister one day that she could share her toys with, but Molly had to shake the thought away. She wasn't ready to go through that again so soon.

Once everything was away, she picked her phone up and sat herself down to listen to the voicemails. There were four in total, the first of which was just after six, the same time that she was taking Katie up to bed, and the same time that he would normally have just been leaving work. Instead, he'd already been stuck in traffic for two hours. The next message left fifty minutes later and another twenty minutes after that. With each message, his voice became audibly more panicked, forcing Molly to realise just how worried he'd been.

The final voicemail left at 7.30, was to say that the traffic was finally moving and he was on his way home. He sounded upset and fretful; something Molly wasn't used to hearing from someone who could usually remain calm in the toughest of situations. She hated herself for putting him through that and knew that it was her fault.

"It doesn't matter," Charles said from the doorway, resting his hands on the doorframe and smiling across the room at her. "Hindsight's a wonderful thing."

Molly looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of him, stood there in nothing but his underwear. His skin wasn't as tanned as it was during his army days, but he'd managed to maintain his fitness levels and incredible physique, giving her the perfect view. Her eyes flicked from his naval downwards, a shiver shooting down the length of her spine as she bit down on her lip, all too aware of the effect he was having just by looking at her.

"Are you checking me out, Mrs James?"

"Maybe," her eyes scanned back up and over his chest once more, before finally settling on the smile that stretched from his lips to his eyes, lighting up whole his face. "You'd better be careful stood like that, Mr James, or you'll be taking me up to bed very soon."

"What's wrong with the sofa?" Charles asked, a cheeky glint in his eye. He walked over to her, desire etched on his face. As he tucked her hair behind her ears, he leant forward, kissing her gently at first. As his hands slowly edged around her waist, Molly gradually pushed them away again; still self-conscious about what remained of her baby weight several months after giving birth.

"Stop it," Charles breathed, desperately trying to maintain the contact. "Let me touch you."

"I'm still-"

"Beautiful," he interrupted. "You're still beautiful." He hooked his fingers on the hem of her top, lifting it over her head and running his hands over her body. He lips quickly returned to hers as he moved her backwards on the sofa, laying himself on top of her and urgently tugging at the button of her jeans.

They lay on the sofa sometime afterwards, fighting to catch their breath. Molly was still floating on cloud nine, her brain fuzzy from the pleasure and a euphoric energy pulsing through her body. She slowly pulled herself away and sat up, fanning her face in an attempt to cool down.

Eventually Charles sat up too, rubbing his hand along the length of her thigh. "I missed you today."

"Ditto," she sighed. "I thought it would get easier, but…" she lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "Mum and Jade ended up coming over today to keep us company."

"That was nice of them."

"Yeah it was." Molly smiled, her breathing to beginning to regulate at last.

"On the subject of mum's…" Charles spoke slowly, unsure whether or not it was the appropriate moment to have the conversation with her, before deciding that it was better late than never.

"What's your one gone and done now?" Molly rolled her eyes. "I swear one of these days she's gonna end up with a broken leg the way she's going."

Charles laughed, knowing that Molly had a point. His mum was even clumsier than her and that said a lot. "No, it's nothing like that; although apparently she did trip on the back door last night and has some bruising down her leg."

"Sounds about right for her. So c'mon, what is it?"

"Well I thought it might be nice for her to come over tomorrow and spend some time with Katie."

"She only came over last week."

"Yes, but Sam wasn't here then."

"Sam's coming over?" Molly suddenly felt the colour drain from her skin. She and Sam got along great and she loved his cheeky sense of humour, but she wasn't enthused by the prospect of having to look after him alone for the day, whilst also entertaining her mother-in-law. "I thought he was coming on Saturday? You know – when you're at home? What am I supposed to do with your mum and Sam all day? And why isn't he going to school?"

"It's a non-pupil day. I thought maybe you could all go somewhere for a little bonding trip? Perhaps you could all go swimming?"

"What the fuck? You know I can't swim!" Molly stared at him in frustration, trying to work out what he was finding so funny. As his face crumpled with laughter, he wiped away a stray tear, shaking his head at how gullible she'd been. "You're taking the mick, aren't you?"

"That was too funny." He bowed his head forward, kissing the bare skin of her shoulder. "Rebecca rang me this morning saying that George had booked them all on a last minute day trip to Paris, but apparently Sam doesn't want to go, and instead asked to come here a day earlier than planned. By some minor miracle my boss was actually in today and he seemed to think they could manage without me for the day."

"You're not working tomorrow?"

"I'm not working tomorrow," he confirmed.

Molly was about to leap forward into his sweaty arms, when the baby monitor lit up, the sounds of Katie crying filling the room. "I'll go," Molly said, pulling her t-shirt over her head in an attempt to keep warm. "She'll probably want another feed anyway."

"Did you not have much luck with the puree today?"

Molly stopped in the doorway to look back at him, shaking her head. "I've tried everything, sweet and savoury, but she just point blank refuses it. Mum suggested trying some mashed up banana cos apparently I loved it when I was a little'un, but if that doesn't work she's going onto formula cos I swear, the amount that kid wants feeding these days, my tits are gonna fall off soon."

Charles bit down on the corner of his lip as he suppressed a laugh, an undisguisable grin stretched across his face. Molly could feel herself melting, full of want for her husband once more. If she hadn't have left the room immediately, there was a very real chance that she would have found herself on top of him again.

She just wished that he still had that same expression when she came back into the room twenty minutes later. Instead, he looked angry, his face creased at the temple. He stood, his feet fixed firmly on the ground, his arms folded across his chest. Molly stopped in her tracks, desperately trying to think what she could have possibly done wrong. The army stance was only ever used when he was angry. If it wasn't for the fact that he was stood in nothing but his underwear, she might have felt a little intimidated; instead, she found it mildly amusing.

"I thought I'd be nice and make a start on dinner." Molly opened her mouth about to speak, but Charles continued before she had the chance to respond. "You know if you're going to burn something, you might want to make sure it doesn't extinguish half way through; and you might want to make sure that you get rid of the evidence of said burning prior to your husband coming home." He paused for breath. "What the fuck, Molly?"

"It was a stupid thing to do, I know. I wasn't thinking, it just came in the post and I couldn't bring myself to open it."

"So you burnt it?" Charles raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Why?"

Molly walked over to the arm chair and sunk into it, hoping that it would bring her some comfort or even protect her from the glare of her husband. "Did you read it?"

Charles held out what remained of the envelope. There was just half of it left, a soggy mess of paper with a burnt curl down one side. "Well half of it is now ash; the other half is soaked through because you were clever enough to drop it in the washing up bowl. No, Molly, I did not read it."

"Alright, keep your barnet on."

He ran his hand through his hair, inhaling deeply and holding the breath until he was calm enough to exhale. "I'm sorry." He knelt himself on the floor in front of his wife, taking her hand in his. They both looked down, watching as his thumb stroked hers. "We promised each other that we'd have no secrets, remember?"

Molly nodded, nervously biting down of the thumb of her free hand, trying to think of the right words to say. "Do you remember about six weeks ago, I contacted HR and said that I wanted to take ASL for two months?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, when I found out I was pregnant I couldn't go to Cyprus, could I?"

"I know you wanted to go, Moll, but it was too much of a health and safety risk."

"I know, I know. It's just; I didn't want to regret the missed opportunity so I said at the time that if the chance came up to deploy to Cyprus when my OML ended, then I wanted to know. So when HR sent me a letter back confirming my extension, they also told me that there was the chance to go to Cyprus literally like a week after my ASL ends."

"I don't understand."

"They're going to send me to Cyprus. I rang my CO after I got the letter and we agreed that I would use my ten keeping in touch days to get back up to fitness before my medical. It seemed like ages away at the time and I was kinda excited about it. But then that letter came today and I knew it would be the date for medical and days that I can visit the garrison and suddenly it just feels like I'm being shoved on the plane."

"But it wouldn't be for another couple of months still."

"But it's going too quick!" Molly gulped, taken aback by her own volume. "I'm not ready to leave Katie."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

Molly shrugged, fixing her eyes on the ground. She knew she had no good reason for not talking to him and for choosing instead to bottle everything up. It had just happened. "Anyway, I have to stay home to look after Katie cos you're working full time."

"We already discussed this, Molly. I said I could cut down some of my hours and Mum said she's willing to take her on the days when I'm at work."

"But I'm her mum! I should be raising her, not her nan."

"So are you wanting to quit the army altogether?" Charles remained calm, his hand still holding hers, squeezing it reassuringly every so often.

"No I don't, I mean, I dunno. I dunno anymore."

Charles lifted himself to his feet, pulling Molly up and into his arms. "Come here. Only you can make this decision, Molly, and you know I'll support you whatever you decide. But you need to let them know soon, because they won't wait for you forever."

Molly lifted her chin just enough to look up at him. Tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks, overwhelmed by it all. She raised herself to her tiptoes, still struggling to reach his height as he leant forward to meet her kiss. "I don't deserve you."

"Other way around, Dawesy, it's me that doesn't deserve you."

* * *

 **A/N I purposely didn't describe his underwear in any detail as I think it's only fair to let your imagination decide that one ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all of the kind reviews. They really do mean a lot to me x**

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"Come on, Sam, you can do it!"

Sam turned to Molly, a look of utter concentration on his face. "But I'll have to get a strike to beat Dad, he's miles ahead."

"I believe in you, mate."

Sam turned back to the pins, lined up and waiting for him to make his move. As he released the ball, Molly held her breath, silently praying that he was going to get the strike and win the game. If Charles won she knew she wouldn't hear the end of it. She could feel herself watching in slow motion as one by one the pins hit the floor.

"Yes!" She shouted, leaping from her feet as the last pin fell. She ran over to Sam, scooping him into a hug, and then releasing him to lift his arm up in victory. Charles was sat, pretending to look disappointed. Molly knew him well enough to see the pride in his eyes, but for now she was going to play on the disappointment and make one final dig. "You just got beaten by a twelve year old!"

"Guess it's me buying lunch then."

As they grabbed their belongings and left the bowling alley, Molly found herself walking across the street with the biggest smile on her face. Despite only being halfway through the day, it had already been one of the best days she'd had in a long time. Charles' mum had arrived early in the morning, closely followed by Sam. He was so happy to see them all, it had instantly brightened up her morning. Katie had eaten the mashed up banana for breakfast, which in itself was a huge triumph, and she'd even let Molly put the teething gel in her mouth which had worked wonders.

It was Sam who had suggested going bowling and everyone had agreed that it was a great idea. Molly readily admitted that she was terrible at it and Penny had been far too distracted by Katie to put much effort it, but father and son had both taken it very seriously. Yet despite the competiveness of the game, they couldn't have been closer. As they made their way towards the restaurant, she could see the joy on Sam's face as his father gave him a piggy back, jokingly jumping and spinning around, leaving Sam in fits of laughter. She just hated knowing that in a couple of days it was going to be tears again when he had to leave.

Since Rebecca had moved them both in with her new boyfriend George and his two sons, he'd started to become reluctant to go home, to the point that on the last visit he'd shut himself in his bedroom and barricaded the door. He didn't scream or shout, it wasn't in his nature, but the silent protest conveyed his message loud and clear. He wanted to stay. Charles had eventually calmed in down enough to leave with his mum, but it left an impression, and something was telling Molly that it was going to be even worse this time around. His reluctance to go to Paris was a big warning sign in itself. But for now at least, all she could do was make sure that he enjoyed his long weekend with them.

They sat around a table and ordered their food and drinks, still discussing their game. Charles was still feigning disappointed, and Sam was happily ribbing him for losing. The first time any of them broke away from the chat, was when Molly's phone began to ring. Not wanting to be rude, she took her phone outside to answer it.

"Lance Corporal James, how are you?"

Molly felt the wind being knocked out of her as she recognised the voice of her Commanding Officer. Her smile steadily slid from her face, as a nervous knot began to form in her stomach. She wished she hadn't answered, but it was too late now. She had to say something, but it was as though she'd forgotten how to speak. A mere croak escaped her lungs as she tried to respond.

"Sorry James, the signal must be bad. Can you hear me ok?"

"Yes," she managed to say, before suddenly remembering herself. "Yes, Sir."

"Jolly good. I was just wondering if you'd received my letter yet as I haven't heard back from you?"

Molly didn't know what to say. Did she lie and say she hadn't received it, and then have to go through the whole conversation on the phone? Or did she admit to receiving it and then pretend to have read it? Or just be honest and admit that she burnt it and then attempted to drown it? Eventually she decided to go with the only answer that would get him off the phone quickly so that she could return to her family. It was only a slight bend of the truth too, so she knew she didn't have to feel guilty about lying.

"I did receive it, Sir, but my little girl has been teething badly and I've a bit preoccupied by that. If it's ok, Sir, I'll have to get back to you in a few days once she feels a bit better."

"Very well, James, keep in touch. And, Molly…"

"Sir?"

"My wife swore by vanilla extract. Just a drop, straight on the gums."

Molly couldn't help but giggle. Major Reynolds had always been a far tougher commander than Charles ever was, and much more strict on every soldier that served under him. Whilst she was aware that he had a wife and children at home, he refused to ever speak of them. He put firm boundaries in place and never crossed them. Until now anyway, and it made her strangely uncomfortable.

The call ended and Molly returned to the table just as the food arrived. It smelt delicious, the scent quickly filling her nostrils. Whilst her taste buds were happily salivating over what sat in front of her, her stomach was still knotted from the phone call; the thought of eating anything sending waves of nausea through her. As everyone began to tuck in, she simply stared at her plate, pushing a pea around with her fork.

"Who was on the phone?" Charles asked between mouthfuls.

"Reynolds."

Charles turned to her, instantly sensing the shift in her mood from her blunt answer and tone of voice. He looked at her for a moment, trying to find the right thing to say without risking an interrogation from his mum. For now at least, this was something that he and Molly needed to deal with alone.

"Impeccable timing as always. If he wasn't a damn good solider, I doubt he would have progressed beyond Sandhurst; his attitude towards his supposed comrades was shocking to say the least. Although I did heard of rumours that the OIC may have positioned his boot six laces holes where the sun doesn't shine."

"Well that brings a new meaning to boot up the bum!" Penny said, quickly laughing at her own quick wit.

Distracted by the laughter, Molly began to eat her food, and for now at least, her mind was taken elsewhere.

"Try a bit," she heard Charles say, as he held out a spoon with some mashed up carrot on it, and waved it in front of Katie. "Come on, open up, it's yummy." Katie's mouth remained firmly shut as she's stared at her father in confusion. "We've got the hint that you don't like puree and I promise you that this isn't, so please try a bit?"

"Can I have a go?"

Molly, Charles and Penny all turned to Sam, silently considering what he'd said. In the end, Charles decided that it was worth a try, and passed the spoon over to him. To the amazement of all of them, Katie opened her mouth and happily ate everything her brother gave to her. Molly mashed some more carrot with her fork and handed it to Sam, and again, Katie happily ate it all.

"Reckon we might hire you as a full-time babysitter, mate."

"Would that mean I can live with you and Dad properly?" The excitement in his voice wasn't lost on Molly and only added fuel to her belief that he was unsettled in his new home.

"You'd soon get sick of us, mate. Are you enjoying your chicken nuggets?"

"Yes, thank you."

They eventually finished their meals and ordered desserts, all of which arrived quickly. Molly sat, watching in amazement as Sam devoured his ice-cream. Growing up it had been a permanent fixture in her daily diet, but the way that Sam was practically inhaling the contents on the bowl in front of him, she couldn't help but wonder if Rebecca ever let him have it.

Too distracted by her step-son's behaviour, she failed to concentrate on what she was doing. As she lifted the spoon to her mouth, the cool liquid slowly made its way down the length of her arm and onto her top, before settling on her jeans. "You have got to be kidding me!" She yelped, jumping to her feet and frantically wiping the mess away with a napkin.

"How the bloody hell did you manage that, Dawesy? Your mouth's big enough."

"You can off of some people, you know."

Penny and Sam were soon laughing at Molly and Charles as they continued to tease each other. It was only when Sam's laughter abruptly ceased, that Molly suspected her fears were right. Despite his mask of happiness, there was something upsetting him, and she couldn't bear to see it. She knew that it left her with a dilemma, whether to confront Sam, or to tell his dad and leave him to deal with it in whatever way he saw fit. One thing she did know for certain however, was that this wasn't the appropriate time or place for this conversation. If Charles noticed the sadness in his son's face, he'd understandably want to know why. Unfortunately she suspected that he wouldn't wait until getting home to ask him. The best thing that she could do was to get the conversation moved along swiftly.

"Did you bring that new computer game you were saying about, Sam?" She gave herself a mental pat on the back for thinking on her feet.

"Yeah, it's in my bag."

"How about we go home and see if you can beat your dad at that n all?"

As they picked up their things to leave, Molly felt two small arms grab her around the waist from behind. She cautiously placed her hands over them, a gentle, reassuring squeeze to let him know that everything was going to be ok.

"I'm glad my dad married you." The small voice said, causing Molly's heart to swell with happiness.

As Charles and Penny took Katie outside, Molly turned and draped her arm around Sam's shoulders and led him towards the door. "I'm glad I married him too cos it means I get to have you as a step-son."

"You know, don't you, Molly? About-"

"Yeah, mate. I know."

* * *

 **A/N OIC stands for Officer in Command**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you once again for all of your reviews; I'm glad you're enjoying this story x**

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Molly tiptoed out of the bathroom, relieved that her bladder was finally empty. She'd been unwilling to prise herself out of Charles' arms and into the cold air, but she'd been unable to hold it any longer. As she made her way across the landing, she spotted the faint glow of light creeping out from under the door of Sam's bedroom. She had no idea what the time was, but the sunrise edging over the trees and beginning to stream through the window told her that it was at least morning.

She gently knocked on the door as she eased it open, careful not to disturb him in case he'd simply fallen asleep with the light on. Instead, she found him sat on his bed, tapping away at his phone, oblivious to her presence.

"You're up early."

Sam lifted his head to look at her, dark circles of exhaustion etched on his face. "Or late," he replied simply, before deciding to clarify. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh mate, you should have woken one of us."

"Why? It wouldn't have helped me sleep and I know you were still up with Katie until midnight. You and Dad need to sleep too."

"You're a very mature little man, ain't you?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what the correct response was meant to be. He turned his attention to the clock beside his bed, raising his eyebrows in the same way his dad did whenever something took him by surprise. "It's five thirty. What time does Dad wake up?"

"He's normally up by now to be honest. Do you want me to go and get him for you?"

"No thanks. Is it ok if I get a drink?"

"You don't have to ask, mate, you know where everything is." As Sam stood himself up from the bed, rubbing his tired eyes, Molly had an idea. "Do you fancy a hot chocolate?"

"Am I allowed one?"

"I won't tell if you don't."

Sam nodded, happily following Molly down the stairs. Both of them were careful not to make any noise until they were safely into the kitchen and the door was shut behind them. Whilst Molly filled the kettle and put it onto boil, Sam retrieved two mugs from the cupboard and placed them onto the worktop for her. Stood side by side, Molly was able to fully appreciate just how tall he'd become. She knew that at the rate he was growing, he'd probably be head and shoulders above her within a year, something she was not remotely looking forward to. She couldn't help but wonder if it might be worth investing in some high heels just in case.

"So why couldn't you sleep?" She asked tentatively, scooping the hot chocolate powder into the mugs.

"Thinking," was his abrupt reply.

"About?"

"Stuff. I'm really hungry, is it too early for breakfast?"

Molly got the hint that he still wasn't ready to talk and decided to leave it for now. "It's n _ever_ too early for breakfast; what d'ya fancy?"

Sam thought for a moment, looking around the kitchen for inspiration. "Toast?"

"Toast?" Molly balked, raising her eyebrows. "We've got some bacon and eggs in the fridge."

To her astonishment, he stood and considered the offer. Molly had never known anyone to turn down bacon and eggs, even ones that had been cooked by her. As the silence stretched, she decided not to wait any longer and opened the fridge to take out what she needed, before grabbing the pans and placing them on the hob to heat up.

Sam watched her as she moved around preparing the food, not saying a word. It wasn't normal behaviour for him, but Molly put it down to tiredness. It was only as she went to return what was left of the bacon that Sam moved, blocking her path. She didn't understand what he was doing, his sleep filled eyes staring at the packet in her hands.

"Can we make some for Dad too?"

"Course we can," she smiled, turning back to the hob. She felt strangely relieved, but couldn't explain why. "Fried or scrambled egg?"

"Scrambled please."

Molly cracked the eggs into a bowl and handed it to Sam along with a fork, getting him to whisk the mixture up whilst she retrieved three plates from the cupboard and spread them out on the worktop.

"Do you have to go back to work?" Molly lifted her head, not quite sure if she'd heard Sam speak or if she'd simply imagined it. "I heard you and Dad talking last night," he continued. "Do you have to go back to work?"

"Well it won't be for another couple of months, mate."

"But do you have to?"

Molly stood still, placing the tongs down and folding her arms across her chest. She'd been patient enough with him, but the niggling feeling that something was amiss was only intensifying, and she couldn't ignore it any longer. "C'mon, I think it's time you spill."

"It's just…it's just…" He shook his head as he tried to muster the courage to tell his step-mum the truth about why he was asking. "It's nothing, it's just I don't think Dad will be ok on his own. Katie's not sleeping because she's in pain and Dad has to work. If you stay, you can look after her and Dad can work and then…"

"Then…?"

Sam released a long sigh. "Then maybe Mum will let me stay here all the time."

Molly closed her eyes momentarily, silently begging Charles to wake up and come downstairs to help her with this conversation. This was not something she had any experience with, so she didn't even know where to begin. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that there was no sign of movement upstairs, and that she was going to have to tackle this alone.

"Why do you wanna stay here so much?"

"I like it here. But like I said, I only want you to stay so you can help Dad and then maybe I can stay and help you too."

"So this is all about your dad, is it?"

Sam nodded enthusiastically, but Molly wasn't convinced. He took the tongs from where she had left them, and began to take the bacon out of the pan and place it onto each of the plates, leaving Molly to watch him, contemplating her next move. She knew that there was more to this than Sam was telling her, and she that she would have to push him further to find out what was wrong. She just wasn't sure how.

"Don't you think your mum will miss you?"

"No."

"Well I think she'll miss you."

"No." Sam's eyes remained fixed on the hob where the egg mixture was now cooking away. One word answers weren't getting them anywhere, she had to try another tactic.

"What about your step-brothers?" Molly noticed his whole body flinch, but decided not to draw attention to it. She'd obviously hit a nerve, but now she needed to find out why. "They're close to you in age, aren't they? I bet you love having big brothers." The room fell silent as Sam dished up the scrambled egg, completely ignoring her questions. _So it's something to do with his step-brothers._ "Do you spend much time together?"

"I'll go wake Dad up," Sam said, refusing to answer.

"Don't you dare, Sam James," she said, doing her best to sound firm, but without scaring him away. She was finally getting somewhere with him, she wasn't going to break the flow now. "Don't you get along with them?"

"They don't like me."

 _Bingo._

"I'm sure they do."

"No, they really don't. They took all my dinner the other day before Mum came to the table and then told her I'd eaten it and she wouldn't let me have any more. And the other morning they poured water on my bed when I was having a shower and then told George I'd wet myself. And when they were playing football indoors they broke Mum's picture frame and told her I did it. And-"

"I get it, mate." Molly had listened as the flood gates opened and his secret torment spilled out, but she couldn't bear to listen anymore. It was breaking her heart to hear what he'd been going through in what was supposed to be the safety of his own home. "Does your mum know you're having such a hard time of it?"

"I tried to tell her but George told her I was lying and she believed him."

"That b-" Molly quickly stopped herself mid-swear, "-ad idea. She must believe you, you're her son. Do you want me to get your dad to have a word with her?"

"No, you can't. He'll get angry at Mum and they'll have another argument. They think I don't hear them, but I do."

Once again, Molly found herself silently praying that Charles had woken up and somehow overheard their entire conversation; but unfortunately not. She ran her hand through the length of her hair, absent-mindedly brushing out the tangles that had formed overnight.

"They only argue because they both want what's best for you and they have different ideas of what that is. But I still ain't gonna lie to your dad."

"It's not lying, it's just not telling him." _Well he definitely learnt that trick from his dad._ Molly shook her head annoyed with her head for even thinking it. "Please Molly. Just tell him I have to stay here."

"What about your school? You've only just started there."

"So it'll be easy for me to leave. If I wait then I'll start exams and I'll never be able to move here. _Please_ Molly!"

"Fine," she unintentionally snapped. "I'll see what I can do. Now go sit at the table and eat you're breakfast and I'll wake your dad up."

She walked up the stairs as slowly as possible, desperately trying to think about what she was going to say. Whilst she knew that she should tell Charles, she also didn't want to lose Sam's trust. It had taken a lot of courage for him to tell her what was happening, and if she wasn't careful, she risked him never confiding in her again.

"C'mon, wake up," she whispered, gently kissing the side of her husband's face. As he slowly stirred, he released a slight moan of pleasure, encouraging Molly to continue with her kisses. "C'mon, Sam and I made breakfast."

"I'm sure it'll keep," he replied, his eyes still firmly shut. "Come back to bed."

Molly laughed, deciding to tease him as she moved her kisses lower and lower. Charles moaned even more, shifting his body on the bed to ensure he was comfortable for whatever she had planned for him. Molly ran her hand down the length of his body, edging her fingertips under the hem of his underwear, tugging at them ever so slightly. Just as she was about to pull them down, she moved her hand away and stood herself back up.

"Well you're definitely awake now so there's no excuse."

"Are you being serious?" Finally Charles opened his eyes. "I was enjoying that."

"I'm sure you were, but Sam and I need to have a chat with you. There's bacon and egg going cold on the table, so hurry up."

Molly left the room quickly, aware of just how tempted she was by the offer of re-joining her husband in bed. It was only as she sped down the stairs and a draft gathered around her, that she realised that she was still wearing her pyjamas. She contemplated turning back for a jumper, but she knew that she would definitely be persuaded back to bed if she did that.

She sat down at the table and squirted a large dollop of ketchup onto her plate, then reached out for the hot chocolate in front of her. She'd completely forgotten that she'd even made them, but Sam must have remembered and put them there.

"Someone else has woken up too," Charles said as he walked into the room, a tired looking Katie in his arms. She looked around the room, and then nestled back into her father's chest, her tiny body stretching out as she yawned.

"Is she hungry?"

"I think she's ok for now." He sat himself down at the table, sitting her on his lap, and grabbing a fork, instantly diving into the food in front of him. "So what's the special occasion?"

"Eh?"

"You only ever stretch to toast or coco pops, it's me that always ends up doing the cooked breakfast. I know this is only bacon and eggs, but what did we do to deserve such culinary effort?"

Molly took a deep breath, choosing to ignore his sarcastic comment. Gradually she lowered her fork down onto the plate and sat herself upright, trying to appear more confident than she felt. There was a real possibility that this was all going to go very, very badly.

"Sam's going to come and live with us."

"He already does, most weekends."

"No. Full-time, seven days a week."

Charles coughed, choking on the last mouthful of his breakfast. "But he lives with Rebecca." He turned to Sam. "You live with your mum."

Sam's young eyes welled with tears and he shot out of the room, his chair falling behind him; the sound of it making contact with the ground filling the room.

"Well done, genius! Kid's upset enough as it is and you come out with that."

"What did I say wrong?" He looked down at Katie, her big brown eyes blinking back at him. "Do you know what I said wrong?"

Molly scratched the top of her head, wondering what on earth to do now. "This isn't something up for discussion, ok? He's gonna come and live with us, it's what he needs."

"And how's that going to work exactly?"

"Much like it does now I suppose."

"And when you get sent to Cyprus? Or is my mum going to have Katie all day and then be expected to do the school run as well?"

 _That's not a bad idea actually._ "No, course not. Maybe you could use up some holiday?"

"I only have three weeks left, Molly; somehow I suspect your deployment is for a lot longer than that."

"Well I don't know! I just know that he's gonna come and stay here. End of."

Charles lowered Katie to the floor, handing her a toy to play with as distraction. He reached his fingers up, pinching the bridge of his nose as he collected himself. "What's going on?"

Molly couldn't bear the dishonesty, but she knew Sam had a valid point. Charles and Rebecca could barely manage to be civil to one another these days; it wasn't worth straining the relationship further because ultimately, the only person that would suffer was Sam.

"He's just been missing you recently. Yeah, Rebecca has a family environment for him, but he's not blood related to the boys, whereas he is related to Katie. Don't forget, he's a twelve year old boy; this is a difficult enough time for him what with his hormones and that. Maybe he needs his dad around to show him how to shave!"

"I can do that easily enough one weekend."

"Ok, well what about the fact he misses you? I know you miss him too during the week."

"Of course I do, he's my son, but it's not as simple as that and you know it. Rebecca and I made an agreement about when we'd have him and at the moment, it works well. I work stupidly long days, so he'd barely see me anyway. He'd be spending more time with my mum than me and let's be honest here, she's not getting any younger. Katie's going to be enough of a handful."

"Well I'm sure he'll join the footie club or whatever and that'll keep him busy after school a couple of days; and you already said you'd cut back your hours if I went. Look, I'll talk to Penny, I'm sure she'll be ok with it if we explain, and it's not like it'll be forever anyway. The posting is only for three months, and then I can come back and maybe request to go back to Frimley Park again."

"Three months is a long time, Molly. I'm sorry, but I think its best that he stays with Rebecca. He's enrolled at a decent school and I'm sure he has plenty of friends there; I don't want to disrupt his whole life. If he misses me as much as you say, then maybe we can arrange something when you get back. But for now, nothing changes."

They both jumped as the front door suddenly slammed shut.

"What was that?" Charles asked, turning to his wife in the hope that she might be able to provide the answer. He was right of course; Molly knew immediately what it was. It was a young boy that had just overheard the worst possible news, and believed that he had no other options left.

"Sam!"

* * *

 **A/N Yep, it's a cliff hanger, sorry!**


	6. Chapter 6

_"_ _Sam!"_

Molly stood up, her chair crashing behind her as she rushed to the door. She could feel her heart frantically beating out of her chest as she looked around for him, struggling to breathe through the panic. She ran to the end of the driveway, oblivious to the gravel scratching away at the soles of her feet, and the blood that was beginning to be drawn.

"Sam!"

Charles appeared beside her, his face ghostly white. Katie was in his arms, screaming with all of might, aware that something was wrong.

"Take her inside," he demanded. "I'll go."

Molly nodded, taking Katie from him and heading back indoors. She knew Charles could run faster and would have a better idea of where to look, but she couldn't help feeling that they would have more chance of finding him if she went out too. Besides, she'd never been very good at sitting still. Neither was her daughter it seemed, as Katie desperately wriggled in her arms, begging to be freed. Despite this, Molly couldn't do it. No matter how much her daughter was fighting, she couldn't let go. She sat them both down, bouncing Katie on her knee in a futile attempt to calm her.

She had to do something, she had to help. She grabbed her mobile and tried calling Sam, clenching her fists as she begged for him to answer. The silence as the call connected felt like hours, each millisecond feeling painfully slow. Once it did, she felt bile rise in her throat as a wave of nausea coursed through her body. She could hear the sound of his ringtone somewhere nearby. She followed her ears towards the noise, still gripping tightly onto Katie as she walked.

The sight before her, released a new surge of panic, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest as it picked up pace. Sat on the kitchen worktop - where he must have left it when they were making breakfast - was his mobile, the screen flashing up with Molly's picture.

"Fuck!"

Knowing that he didn't even have his phone on him, made the whole situation a million times worse in her mind. She knew she couldn't wait any longer; she had to get out there. She scrolled through her phone and called Charles' parents. Molly's strained breaths as she fought through the tears, were enough for them to know that something was badly wrong. Without needing to be asked, they were on their way.

Molly sat herself back down, finally freeing Katie as she desperately tried to unlock Sam's phone; her leg tapping away furiously as adrenaline pumped through her body. She bit down on her thumb, feeling the nail weaken under the strength of her bite as she fought to remain calm, but with each failed attempt at the pin number she could feel her self-control ebbing away. She lifted the phone up, taking aim at the wall and visualising everything in her life that had gone wrong. But just as she was about to let go, she lowered her arm _. What if Sam calls? It might be the_ _only phone number he knows._ She had to hold onto it just in case.

Penny and Robert came bounding through the front door just minutes later. Molly knew that it was impossible for them to have arrived so quickly without breaking every single speed limit along the way, and she was sure Charles would hit the roof if he found out, but for now, she was grateful to them.

"What happened?" Robert asked, fighting to maintain his composure in the increasingly stressful situation.

"Sam, he… he just… he… the door…he…"

"Take a deep breath," Penny ordered. As soon as Molly was sat still, she turned her attentions to Katie, lifting the still tearful baby and soothing her instantly. "Someone needs to stay here with Katie just in case he comes back, so let me do that. You two should take the car. Find out where Charles is and look further afield."

Neither Molly nor Robert responded beyond a nod of the head, agreeing that this was the best plan. "She needs a new nappy," Molly suddenly thought, pausing in her tracks, only one trainer on. "And there's formula in the cupboard if she's hungry, and-"

"Go!"

Molly stumbled out of the door, feeling torn between the desire to stay with her daughter and the need to find her step-son. It was only when Robert held open the car door, practically pushing her inside, that she realised she had to focus on finding Sam and trust that Penny wouldn't let anything happen to Katie.

"Call Charles, find out where he is."

Molly did as she was told, pressing the quick dial to her husband.

"Have you found him?" Charles asked, the second he answered the call. He was breathless, panting for air as he spoke. She could hear his stride slowing, the noise of his feet pounding down on the concrete becoming quieter.

"Not yet, but your dad and I are in the car looking and your mum's waiting at home. Where are you?"

"In town, but nothing's open yet so I don't think he's here. I'm going to keep looking around though," Charles gasped, still fighting to catch his breath. "Get Dad to drop you off by the river, he loves it there; then tell him to drive back towards his house. They're the only other places he knows around here."

"Ok."

The river wasn't far from where they were, so Robert followed Molly's directions to their favourite picnic spot, and then sped off into the distance. With each passing second, Molly was getting more and more worried for Sam's safety. He'd never run away before, and if he ever went out with friends, he kept in regular contact. The fact that he didn't have his phone on him was still playing heavily on her mind, and as Charles said, nowhere in town was open yet. If something happened, he was completely alone.

No, she couldn't think like that. He was a clever, mature young man. He wouldn't have gone far, and any second now, Penny would be calling to say he'd come home. _Home, that's what all of this is about._ She had to find him.

As she walked further upstream, she could hear a strange noise. Like… like something being thrown into the water. She listened for a second, and then picked up her pace, trying not to get her hopes up. There was a bridge, obscuring what was beyond. As she finally rounded the corner, she stopped; her whole body relaxing with instant relief.

She watched Sam for a moment, skimming stones across the surface of the water, lost in his thoughts and oblivious to the panic he'd caused. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to send a quick message, keeping one eye on him at all times.

"I dunno how you do that," she said, as she quietly approached him. "I've tried, but I'm useless at it. You wanna show me?"

Sam shrugged, passing her a pebble. "You have to get low, so it just bounces in a straight line."

Molly tried, but all she managed was a giant splash, and the sound of a few birds being scared away. Both she and Sam began to laugh at her incredibly poor attempt, the morning's worries briefly forgotten. "I think you might gonna have to show me again."

Sam took another stone from the collection in his other hand and skimmed it across the water with ease. He turned to Molly, passing her another stone. "It's not hard."

"You must have practised a lot more than me."

"Maybe." Sam stilled for a moment, his smile beginning to fade as he opened his hand and dropped the remaining stones that he was holding. "I really can't live with Mum and George anymore."

Molly lowered herself to the ground, suddenly becoming aware of the pain in her feet. She eased her trainers off and peeled away her blood stained socks, allowing the air to travel between her toes. The relief she expected failed to come; instead all she felt was the harshness of the cool breeze attacking the open wounds.

"What did you do?" Sam asked, sitting beside her, and staring at her injured feet.

"I ran out without any shoes on, didn't I? That'll teach me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled, trying her best to reassure him. "Now I promise you, no matter what, you're gonna live with us."

"But Dad said-"

"I know what Dad said. He only wants what's best for you, Sam, and he can't know what that is without knowing the full story."

Sam's head sunk, and he picked up the stones that he'd not long dropped, turning them over in his hand. "He'll think I'm a wimp cos I can't protect myself."

"No he wouldn't. I don't. I think you're a far better person than either of them."

Sam's head lifted once more, his eyes filled with tears. He'd been suffering for far too long, and it had to come to an end. Molly could feel an ache inside of her as she came to the realisation that this could all be solved by her making one simple decision. Whatever she may or may not have wanted, she had to do the right thing by Sam.

"So I was thinking, maybe I could quit the army, stay at home and join civvy street. What d'ya think?"

"You don't have to leave because of me."

"Well…" Molly wrapped her arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. "You're kinda my favourite step-son, so I'd do anything for you."

"Please don't leave the army though, I know you love it. Nan said she'd look after Katie anyway and I'd be at school most of the time."

"C'mon, mate, you know you'd be with her a lot longer than that, and I reckon your nan would struggle just looking after Katie."

"I can look after myself," he replied with a noticeable roll of the eyes.

"I know you can, but it's not as simple as that."

"What about Auntie Bella? She's not working; she could come live with us?"

Molly laughed, shaking her head. "If she came, the whole lot of 'em would descend."

"Well I don't need a babysitter anyway, I'm going to be thirteen soon."

"Growing too fast," said a voice from behind them. Molly and Sam immediately turned, watching as Charles walked towards them, his face red from running, beads of sweat creeping down the sides of his cheeks. He knelt down, pulling them both into his arms. "Don't ever run away again, scamp, you worried me so much."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

The three of them sat in quiet for a moment, watching the gentle movements of the water as it travelled along, and the small bubbles of air that appeared on the surface as the fish swam below. A curious bird cautiously approached them in the quest for food, but it soon disappeared, brushing its feet along the surface of the water as it left. It was so beautiful there, so tranquil and calm.

"I love it here," Molly said, breaking the silence. "I guess that's even more reason for me to stay." She turned to face Charles, taking his hand in hers. "Sam and I have been having a little chat and I've decided to jack in the army."

Charles stared at her in disbelief. "Are you sure? What are you going to do?"

"I'm sure, but I dunno what I'm gonna do yet. Just find a job I guess. Depending on where it is, your mum might gonna have to watch him after school for a bit, but with any luck I'd be home for dinner."

"Molly?" She turned to Sam as he said her name. "Can Nan still cook it?"

"Oi, what's wrong with my cooking?"

"Nothing; I just prefer Nan's."

Molly laughed, appreciating his honesty. She was a terrible cook. "Ok, you win. But in return..." she took a deep breath, knowing that Sam would probably hate her for putting him in this position, but knowing that it was the only option, "…I want you to tell your dad the truth."

Charles' ears pricked up, turning to his son, his face paling. "What truth?"

Sam's eyes widened, revealing just how blood-shot and tired they were. Behind them, Molly could see the inner fight going on in his head, the want for his father to know, against the need to protect him. Eventually Sam conceded to Molly's request, giving a simple nod of his head, before speaking. "My step-brothers don't really like me."

"It's a bit more than that though, isn't it, mate?" Molly persevered. "They've been giving you a bit of hard time of it."

"What do you mean, hard time? Have they… have they _hurt_ you?" Sam didn't answer his father, instead tossing a stone into the water with renewed aggression. Charles frowned at him, a deep crease forming on his forehead. "Sam?"

"They're always picking on me."

Charles went to ask him again, but Molly stopped him, placing her hand on his arm to draw his attention away and shaking her head. He didn't need an interrogation.

"Does your mum know?" He asked instead.

Sam nodded. "But George told her I was lying."

"And she believed him over you?!" Charles was getting increasingly irritated. "How could she just stand back and let this happen?!"

"See this is why I didn't want to tell you, because I knew you'd be angry!"

"I'm not angry at you!" Charles held his hand over his mouth, inwardly berating himself for raising his voice. "I'm not angry at you," he repeated, but softer. "I'm just upset, that's all. I love you, scamp; you, Katie, Molly, you all mean the absolute world to me. I wish you'd told us sooner."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, ok? None of this is your fault. I promise they'll never hurt you again."

The sound of a car horn caused them to all jump and turn their attention to the nearby road. Sam recognised the car instantly, jumping to his feet and running over to his grandad, flinging himself into his arms as soon as he stepped out of the car.

Charles stood up, holding his hands out to help Molly up, before reaching down to grab her trainers from where she'd discarded them. As soon as she was steady, he leant forward, placing a delicate kiss on her lips.

"What was that for?"

"For being you," he replied, leaning his forehead against hers. His free hand stroked along the side of her face, down her neck and shoulder, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps and a shiver that rippled down the length of Molly's spine. "Thank you… for finding him and getting him to open up, thank you." As their lips made contact again, his hand slid around her back, pulling her closer still. "I love you, Dawesy."

"I love you too."

Their moment was disturbed by the sound of the car horn being beeped once again, an impatient Robert clearly not keen on waiting any longer for them. Molly tried her best to walk over, but was slowed by the agonising pain of the cuts to her feet. She clung onto Charles' arm for support, but as dirt began to get rubbed in, each step became more difficult than the one before. Charles couldn't bear to watch his wife's discomfort and lifted her into his arms for the remainder of the short walk.

"What are you gonna tell Rebecca?"

"That she's just won the shit parent of the year award." Molly raised an eyebrow, waiting for a serious answer. "I don't know yet."

Charles helped her into the car, holding the door open as she did up the seat belt. Molly looked up at him, taking in his tired features. The whole day would have panned out very differently if he'd known everything from the beginning. Lies hadn't got them anywhere, and they never would. "I think the truth might be a good place to start."

* * *

 **A/N So Molly's decided to quit the army, but is it what she really wants?**

 **Sorry the updates have been slowing down recently. I'm having a bit of a bump on the road to recovery so I'm back at the cardiac centre. I'm trying to keep the momentum going with this story and have managed to get the next couple of chapters drafted, but please excuse any delays in uploading xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you so much for the reviews and kind messages, I really appreciate them all. Another thank you goes to all of the other authors, simply because I love reading your stories. They've been the perfect distraction recently :)**

* * *

The unseasonably warm sunshine was beating down on the back garden, creating a vibrant glow that bounced off of every possible surface. The air remained still as the open space filled with laughter, a heart-warming, contagious sound. Molly adjusted her sun glasses as she reclined in her seat, elevating her feet on the one directly opposite. She'd be content to spend the rest of life in that moment; surrounded by her family on a beautiful day. Life couldn't get much better than that.

Today was going to be the first day in the next chapter of their lives. The bubble of excitement that was building within her gave her the confidence to believe that she was making the right decision, and watching Charles and Katie playing football against Sam reaffirmed that. She'd never seem them so happy, determined to enjoy their last few hours before Rebecca was due to arrive and rain on their parade. Charles still hadn't decided what he was going to say to her, but Molly had a few choice words of her own prepared just in case.

"She shoots…" Charles said, holding Katie just above the ground, her tiny legs pushing the ball along the grass. At the last minute he lifted her up, kicking the ball into the goal. "We scored! Well done, Katie, my clever little girl." Charles turned her over in his arms, placing a massive kiss on her cheek.

"Molly this isn't fair," Sam said, holding his hands against his sides. "You have to come on my side, Dad's cheating."

"I am not cheating!" Charles replied, ruffling his son's hair. "Besides, you know Molly hurt her feet yesterday, she needs to rest them."

"Molly can talk for herself, y'know; but your dad is right, Sam." She hobbled over to them, grateful for the fluffy slippers that were cushioning her feet from the dry grass below. She swung Katie into her arms, feeling the heat radiating from her back. "C'mon you, let's get you indoors. Make sure you finish your drinks, both of you."

She'd not long kicked off her slippers and sat down when there was a knock at the front door. She tried to ignore it, reasoning that they weren't expecting anyone, but the banging became more and more impatient. Whoever it was, wasn't giving up. She walked slowly, regretting not turning back for her slippers as she tried and failed to avoid putting pressure on the wounds. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath that it better be good, or whoever it was would be facing a lengthy ear bashing.

"Rebecca," she said with surprise, instantly stepping backwards. Maybe there was a first time for everything. "You're early?"

"Molly."

The curt reply wasn't unnoticed by Molly, who gestured for her to come in. As tempted as she was to discharge some of her anger on the sour faced bitch before her, she managed to maintain a level head. It simply wasn't worth wasting the energy.

"Sam, your mum's here!"

Rebecca sat herself on the edge of the sofa, looking weary and exhausted from her little getaway. Removing her phone from her handbag, she began to tap away the screen as the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Whilst they'd never seen eye to eye, the events of the weekend had made Molly loathe her in a way she never thought possible. Of course she'd disliked several people over the years, but this was different. This broke the scale. She could feel herself staring at Rebecca, with her styled hair and manicured nails, and wondering how on earth someone could care so much for their appearance and so little for their own son.

"Mum!" Sam ran in, throwing his arms around her. At least he didn't seem to be upset with her. "Did you enjoy Paris?"

"I did. I even bought you something." Rebecca reached into her bag and pulled out a small gift bag, which Sam excitedly tore into. "It's the Eiffel tower."

Sam stared at the small gold coloured keyring with a polite smile on his face. "It's great, Mum, thanks. Can I go finish my game with Dad? We won't be long; he's rubbish without Katie's help."

"You mean you were too scared to take the ball off your baby sister?" Molly laughed, giving him a knowing smile as he ran out of the back door. "Make sure you bring your empty glasses back in!"

The room returned to silence once more, the tension building between the two women. The sound of Katie throwing her toy across the room was a welcome distraction for Molly, as she grabbed it from under the television and passed it back to her daughter.

"I should probably take her upstairs for a feed."

"Don't leave on my account," Rebecca attempted to force a smile, but managed nothing more than a sneer. "I don't mind."

Whilst Molly's mind was desperately shaking its head, begging for her to go upstairs and get away from the awkwardness, her body nodded and sat back down. Realising that she was left with no way out, she got herself comfortable and relaxed into the chair, deciding that once Katie had finished feeding, she'd make a run for it.

"She's getting big," Rebecca said, breaking the silence. "Your maternity leave must be over soon."

"I'm gonna take a bit longer."

"I wish Charles could have done that," she confessed, shaking her head. "Two weeks is all they allowed him, did you know that?"

"Yeah, he told me."

"Two measly weeks with his son and then I was on my own again. Of course he wasn't always away, but it felt like it." Rebecca looked up briefly, before deciding to continue when there was no objection. "Those precious moments when he was at home were so few and far between. Sam was so young when he went on his first tour of Afghan, and if it hadn't have been for my parents I never would have coped. Then of course there were those endless training sessions." Her eyes glazed over as she reminisced. "I never intended to be a single parent, but by the time he left for his second tour, I felt as though I was. I guess he wanted the army more than he wanted a family."

"Well he's got a family now," Molly couldn't help but say, instantly regretting it as she saw the sadness in Rebecca's eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, you're right. At least Charles will see what it's like to be on the other side now, and to be the one stuck at home with the baby."

"Well I ain't decided yet, I might stay at home, I dunno."

"You should go." Rebecca finally lifted her gaze, looking at Molly with absolute sincerity. "Don't live your life with regrets. If Charles had stayed our relationship would have been forever tarnished by the knowledge of what could have been."

"But he has regrets from going too. He missed a lot of Sam growing up."

"It's a strange balance to find, I know, and perhaps Charles was simply away too much. But the truth is that he savoured every moment that he did have with Sam. Admittedly I was ignored towards the end, but that was partly my fault too. We'd simply forgotten how to be together because we'd spent so much time apart."

"I don't want that," Molly replied honestly. "I don't want Katie to forget me either."

"Oh don't worry about that, I can assure you she won't. Sam never did. He treasured the photographs and sporadic calls with his dad. These days you have Skype as well, so you're practically in the same room."

"That's true." Molly quickly covered herself as Katie pulled away. "It's not the same as holding them though."

"Obviously not, but it helps to ease the pain." Rebecca looked at Katie, who was now sat forwards over Molly's hand, her back being gently rubbed. Her big brown eyes stared back at her with curiosity. "Can I hold her?"

Molly weighed up the decision, before carefully passing her daughter over. Katie instantly leaned forward, hugging the unfamiliar arms of someone she'd rarely seen before. "She likes you."

"Well I'm glad someone does."

"Eh?"

Rebecca chose not to elaborate, instead turning her attention to Katie, a single tear escaping her eye. "Just don't live with regrets, Molly. You and Charles have already proved that you're strong enough to survive a few months apart. You said you've extended your leave, so use every precious second to make some memories that you can take with you."

"What if I still miss the first step, first word? I'll never get that back."

"You remember the first step _you_ saw, the first word _you_ heard."

Molly looked up at Charles, who looked equally as emotional as she felt. Sam stood himself upright trying to pretend that he was unfazed, and walked over to his sister, picking her up for a cuddle that was just as much for his benefit as it was for hers.

"Can I have a word in the kitchen, Molly?"

She followed her husband through the door, reaching out for his hand as they came to a stop beside one another.

"As much as I hate to say it, she's right." He ran his hand through her hair, absentmindedly curling a strand around his finger. "I know I spent too much time away, but I would have been too restless at home."

"Well that's you, not me."

"I grant you some things are different for men, but the emotions and confusion are very much the same. Maybe I've been blinkered up until now or maybe I've just been plain selfish, but your career is a big part of you. You've been so ambitious, always striving to improve and achieve your targets. You've got the drive and determination to succeed; I don't want to stop you."

"Well I have that now as a mum."

Charles leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "It is possible to have the best of both worlds you know. It's a short tour and one that you have been dreaming of doing for such a long time."

"Things change. Sam needs me here, remember?"

"Sam needs both of us." He pulled his head back, his hand now cupping the side of her face. His thumb gently stroked her cheekbone, ready to catch any stray tears that dared to escape. "I want you to be brilliant, Dawesy. I want you to do this for _you_."

"What about Sam?" Her voice wobbled as she found herself becoming more and more overwhelmed by the fight between her head and her heart.

Charles' hand dropped, taking hold of hers and squeezing it tightly, desperate to reassure her. "We haven't even talked to Rebecca yet, so let's just take this one step at a time." He nodded his head towards the closed door. "Shall we face the music?"

Their hands still held tightly together and their fingers entwined, they made their way back into the lounge. Rebecca and Sam were sat together, flicking through the photographs on her phone. Molly could feel Charles straighten up beside her, his whole body stiffening as he adopted his army stance. The message was loud and clear, that he was in charge and Rebecca was going to listen.

"We've had an eventful weekend," he began, grabbing her attention. "Sam's been quite upset about a few things at home."

"I know." She glanced up, a peculiar smile on her face as she looked him up and down. "That look ceased to work on me years ago, Charles. Might I suggest that you sit down and discuss whatever issues you may have with me like a reasonable adult and not attempt to treat me like one of your subordinates?"

Molly turned to Charles with uncertainty, waiting for some kind of bite back, but to her immense shock, he simply did as he was told, taking a seat on the arm chair beside them. He reached out for Molly, tugging her hand until she stood beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in him as he gripped his hands together, trying to put into words what needed to be said.

All of a sudden, his shoulders fell and his head turned to one side. His eyes fixed upon his ex-wife, a staring contest silently agreed as they locked horns. "What do you mean, you know? Just then…when I said that he's been upset, you said you know."

"I am his mother! What do you take me for?"

"So what the bloody hell have you been doing? Because it clearly isn't working."

"Dad, stop it!" Sam interjected, bringing them both back into the room and reminding them that they weren't alone. "I said I didn't want you to argue and I meant it."

"I'm sorry, scamp. I just need to know why your mum has let this happen when she should have been protecting you." He gave Rebecca a stern glance, and then turned back to his son. "Can you do me a favour and tidy up the garden please?"

"If you wanted me to leave, you only had to say."

Sam lifted Katie from his lap, passing her back to Molly. As soon as he'd sulked out of the room, Rebecca leant forward, urgently whispering to her ex-husband. "What am I supposed to do, Charles? He's a teenage boy that has developed a fondness for lying."

"He's not lying, Rebecca." Charles's eye bulged with anger as he spoke, a red tinge creeping down the side of his neck.

"Well of course you'd say that, you've not been there. Did he tell you about the picture frame? The boys told me that he did it, but then he had the cheek to turn around and blame it on them. George had been at home with them all day and swore that the ball never came indoors."

"So how did Sam supposedly break it?" Molly asked, the only one in the room managing to remain calm.

"Well, I don't know," Rebecca shrugged. "They didn't tell me."

"Right…" Charles scoffed. "So Sam just went out of his way to fabricate a story, whereas they couldn't even manage to tell you what they say is the truth."

"They're the ones lying here, not Sam." Molly shook her head, just to emphasise the point.

Charles stood himself up, folding his arms across his chest, feet ever so slightly apart. One eyebrow raised, he leant forwards, fighting the anger within him. "Open your fucking eyes, Rebecca! Of course George would believe them, he's their father; but as Sam's mother, you _should_ have believed him! That poor kid has been going through hell and you've either not see it or refused to acknowledge it."

"Ease off," Molly said, pulling him backwards. "This ain't gonna get us anywhere. What's important now is moving forwards."

"Thank you," Rebecca nodded a vague smile in her direction.

"Yes, Molly's right," Charles agreed. "Sam's moving in with us and you seem to be so incapable of looking after him."

Rebecca's expression instantly froze over as the ice-maiden within her reappeared. "I _beg_ your pardon?"

"No begging needed," Molly replied, standing herself as upright as she could manage with her five month old daughter on her hip. "You heard what he said."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I don't think so. He wouldn't want that."

"Funny you say that, because it was him that asked to move in here."

Sam drew their attention away once more as he knocked on the door, tentatively pushing it back to allow him back into the room. His cheeks were red and damp from crying, his bottom lip trembling as he looked at his parents. "Please stop arguing, I hate it."

Charles was the first to fall, grabbing his son and pulling him into his arms, repeatedly apologising for him having to witness yet another argument. Eventually Rebecca stood herself up, echoing the words of his dad. She knew she didn't always go the right way about it, but she did love her son dearly. She was simply torn between the two branches of her quarrelling family unit.

Watching on, Molly came to a sharp realisation. Sam didn't need her; he needed his mum and dad. And what she needed…what she needed…

… _was the army_. She missed it.

If Charles could cut some of his hours back and maybe get Katie into a nursery and make use of his mum's free babysitting services, then maybe, just maybe, it could work. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and found the number for her Commanding Officer. She hoped that they he wouldn't take offence to the informal message, but if she waited until tomorrow, waited until she could call him, she'd change her mind and be pulled back into uncertainty. She had to do this now.


End file.
